unexceptional

/ˌʌnɪkˈsɛpʃənəl/

//ˌʌnɪkˈsɛpʃənəl// adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"unexceptional" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“unexceptional” is uncommon English (frequency #90,021 among 1,433 “U” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#90,021
frequency rank, English
1,433
“U” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Not exceptional.

Corpus desk

Index EN-unexceptional · unexceptional · English

unexceptional · rank #90,021 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #90,021
  • LEN-MEGA 13 letters
  • VOW-6 6 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,433
  • PHOTO-FINISH unfixed

Nearest frequency peer: unfixed (+1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “unexceptional”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “unexceptional” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for unexceptional
PropertyValue
Headwordunexceptional
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˌʌnɪkˈsɛpʃənəl/
Letters13
Frequency rank#90,021
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “unexceptional” in English

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).unexceptionalfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “unfixed” (#90,022), “unconquerable” (#90,019), “unnie” (#90,024). Among 1,433 “U” headwords, “unexceptional” is #90,021. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

unexceptional is uncommon English at frequency #90,021 among 1,433 “U” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˌʌnɪkˈsɛpʃənəl/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Not exceptional.".

No misspelling variants are generated for unexceptional in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From un- + exceptional. The correct English form is unexceptional, spelled U-N-E-X-C-E-P-T-I-O-N-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Not exceptional.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how unexceptional appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Uncle Shemp was alarmingly unexceptional. He had no detectable lifestyle, and his only accomplishment was the fact that he was a lifelong member of the general public.

Etymology

From un- + exceptional.

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "unexceptional"?
"unexceptional" is spelled U-N-E-X-C-E-P-T-I-O-N-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌʌnɪkˈsɛpʃənəl/.
What does "unexceptional" mean?
As an adjective, "unexceptional" means: Not exceptional.
How do you pronounce "unexceptional"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "unexceptional" is /ˌʌnɪkˈsɛpʃənəl/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "unexceptional"?
From un- + exceptional. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "unexceptional", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 13 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

unconquerable#90,019speculatively#89,931southwestward#89,928preprocessing#89,791

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list